The 4th Panhellenic School Map Competition “The place we live in. Mapping our local landmarks” was implemented during the 2025-2026 school year, with a theme roοted in local identity, heritage and a sense of place.

The Competition aimed to engage students in discovering and showcasing the uniqueness of their local area, through new technologies, digital maps and geospatial storytelling.

After being trained by Spotin in the use of geo-technologies – tools provided to schools free of charge upon request – students became young researchers and storytellers of their local communities. They carried out fieldwork, interviewed residents and experts, documented places through photography, collected oral testimonies and engaged in experiential learning activities. Their findings were transformed into original digital narratives (storymaps) that combined technology, local history and creative expression, highlighting the uniqueness of each place through the eyes of young people.

The Competition aligned with the educational policy of the Ministry of Education “Discovering Local History and Geography”, which encourages initiatives that strengthen the connection between schools and their local communities, as well as with the new curriculum “Active Citizen Actions”, which promotes active involvement of the school community in activities that prepare and shape creative, active, and critically thinking citizens.

The closing award ceremony was addressed by Mr. Nikolaos Christodoulou (Institute of Educational Policy), Dr. Nikos Labrinos (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) and Dr. Mary Belogiannis (Diazoma Association).

The winning schools received fully upgraded, refurbished computers, kindly sponsored by the Social Enterprise KOINSEP Epanekinisis.

Participants: Teachers and students from the 5th and 6th grades of Primary schools, and all grades of Secondary and High schools of General and Special Education in Greece and Greek schools abroad.